Emails That Get Opened: How to rise above the noise

You are sending out hundreds of emails, yet you aren’t receiving the response that you had hoped for. You start to wonder what you are doing wrong. Well, it could be a number of things. This whitepaper looks at how to rise above the noise and get noticed in overcrowded B2B inboxes. We will cover off on:

Avoid being eaten by the spam filter boogey man

Creating subject lines that intrigue

Delivering content that works

Avoiding the Spam Filter Boogey Man

If your email is being eaten by the spam filter, then people are not seeing your message. Email, like any form of sales, is a numbers game. The more people that see your message, the more responses you will enjoy. Spam filters operate by searching for trigger words such as Sale, Free, Guaranteed, No obligation, etc. It can also be activated by using all caps, exclamation points, embedded forms, attachments and red text.

The key having your email opened and read is creating subject lines that engage the reader and make them stand out from the crowd. So how do you promote engagement with a subject line? Forget all about being salesy. Martin Sharpe of Communicator says, “Be creative, be bold, be imaginative, be mysterious, be aloof, and even create a sense of urgency at the same time.” Some suggestions from Marcia Yudkin include:

Ask surprising or provocative questions –

Poke an emotion – Take command of your meeting expenses.

Use dialogue – Psst, your customer data base is full of holes

Quote a Client – “Best Mobile Device Management System Ever”

Compare Before & After – Before – 17.5% compliance failures, After – None

Promise to alleviate a crisis – The end of credit crises

Create Suspense – What Will Happen to Your Expense Account with Fareware?

Evoke imagination – Imagine Every Lead Turning into Revenue.

Tell a story – Last Year, Disaster Loomed Three Days Before Christmas.

Once the email has been opened, you need to be quick to show the reader what is in it for them to continue reading. Why they should proceed with reading your offering. It must take place right off the bat in the first paragraph. Thrust your stake right into the heart of a common problem they are having. Examples – “If you are like many IT Managers, you are tired of leaving late and never getting enough time with your family. Or, “Tired of missing your kid’s ball game because you’re buried in paper work?”

Appeal to the problems they are feeling and they will read on. Not only are you showing them that you understand their business problems, but that you have a solution that can improve them. Or, “Are you struggling with the new tax laws that are different from state to state?”

The way to find out about the struggles of your customers would be to consult your senior sales people. They have to understand the needs of their customers or they wouldn’t be around as long as they have. Be sure to show them what’s in it for them to help you, fresh qualified executive leads.

Another source is to research industry trade associations. Call and explain that you are writing a paper on their industry and need some background information. If they don’t know, see if they can refer you to someone who does know. After all, their association is made up of people from within that industry.

Finally, there is always research. Query Google for answers. Also, look up your direct competitor’s websites for customer quotes. Testimonials of what their products did to remedy their problems should be the same as what your prospects experience.

Hopefully, these suggestions will help get your emails open and read and give a much needed short in the arm to your lead numbers.

Gerry Nason is a Senior Content Copywriter for HiP B2B. He also has extensive experience with generating high quality executive leads. Gerry worked for six years as the Producer & Director of a weekly music show, appearing on cable access TV in New England. During those six years, In Tune won 18 awards for video excellence.